GiveMeSport
·27 January 2023
GiveMeSport
·27 January 2023
The FA Cup is famous for delivering shock results and giant killings, with lower league sides given the opportunity to have a go at some of the biggest clubs in football.
It’s no different in the women’s game, and with the fourth round of the tournament taking place this weekend, fans will be crossing their fingers for a dramatic upset or two.
GiveMeSport Women have listed the fixtures to look out for if you’re hoping for a bit of drama.
We’ve purposely picked matches involving teams with a considerable gulf between their respective league standings.
That’s not to say that we expect these teams to pull off an upset, but there’s always a chance. That’s the magic of the FA Cup, right?
Wolves will welcome Women’s Super League side West Ham to the New Bucks Head Stadium on Sunday.
The side play in the Women’s National League North, two tiers below the WSL, and they are 19 places lower than the Hammers in total.
Having played in the Conti Cup quarter-finals earlier this week, and with a semi-final against Chelsea looming, West Ham manager Paul Konchesky will likely rest a number of his players against Wolves. Can they capitalise this to pull off a shock win?
Leeds are the lowest ranked team left in the FA Cup. They play in the National League Division One North, the fourth tier of women’s football in England.
In fact, the side are a whopping 40 league places lower than Arsenal, who are 14-times winners of the FA Cup.
With no disrespect to Leeds intended, the team would likely be delighted to simply get one goal away from home against the Gunners. But this is football, and stranger things have happened.
In total, 23 league places and two tiers separate West Brom and the WSL’s Brighton.
Hear us out, though, because this encounter could be ripe for an upset. Brighton have struggled this season, and sit second-from-bottom of the WSL with just two wins this season.
All focus will be on ensuring league safety, so perhaps West Brom can sneak it in the FA Cup in front of a home crowd, condemning Brighton to even more misery.
Aston Villa are splashing the cash this season, and impressive performances from the side have got them up to sixth in the WSL table.
Fylde are also sixth in the National League North, resulting in a disparity of 24 league places. It will be a very tough task, but perhaps the side can capitalise on a knock to Villa’s confidence from their recent defeat to Arsenal in the Conti Cup.
There isn’t actually too much of a difference in standings between these two sides. Coventry are rock bottom of the Championship, while Hashtag United are flying high at the top of the National League South-East, producing a gap of just 13 league places.
While Coventry achieved their first win of the season last weekend, Hashtag United could arguably come into the match with more confidence and a desire to play on their underdog status.